I hate getting sucked into doing things because they are a fad. Lately, the big fad seems to be living green and saving money. I've had a garden for years and I really have always loved to be careful with my money. Some of the things that I've done have seemed laughable in the past but now are common place.
I save almost all my kitchen scraps in a bucket on my back deck for composting. I've made sure to not let my neat freak in laws see it but now it may be something that I can be proud of. I often walk around with dirt under my fingernails because I don't usually wear gardening gloves. I can now be proud instead of worrying what people will think of me. Instead of wondering why I have a dilapidated fence in a spot on my front lawn visitors ask what I'm growing.
Instead of explaining that I hate shopping and would rather not spend unnecessarily, people might ask me how I manage to save so much. No longer will I be smirked at while rifling through my coupons.
To be fair, over the years most people have not criticized me for my way of being but now its nice to revel in the fact that I may be admired for my garden and cheapness! I wonder how long this fad will last?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
MY KIDS ARE GREAT PEOPLE
Dear Friend,
I meant to write about this in my last post but I sort of got off on a tangent and it didn't seem to fit in very well and I decided to make it a separate post.
As my kids have grown older I've been able to enjoy them as people more. When they were younger I was spending much of my time teaching them how to be good people and teaching them to be able to live a happy and fulfilling life. I still do guide them but mostly they've become who they will be. And I like them. I like to spend time with them. I like to have everyday conversations with them. If they weren't already my children I would choose them as friends.
It may not be socially correct to say that time with younger kids can be a lot of tedious work but it can be. Its hard to read that same children's book for the 500th time. Its hard to answer those endless questions that start with "why..." I know that I was supposed to be dreamy eyed with wonderment as my children discovered the world but its hard to do that when you are changing a poopy diaper or surviving one of many tantrums. Its maddening when someone tells you to cherish every moment because time goes so fast. I can remember many times when I did feel awe in the magic of motherhood. I can remember staring at Thomas when he read his first chapter book. I still smile when I think about Erin crashing her electric jeep and her first thought was the safety of Sarah who was riding with her. Sarah amazed me when she was two and she drew a picture of me flying a kite and I could actually tell what it was. Yes many times it is enjoyable but that doesn't change the fact that its so much gosh darn work!
Now that I have a preteen and two teenagers I don't need to do so much work. I don't need to be following them around every minute guiding them through life. More and more they are following their own paths. Each path is interesting and I get to walk beside them instead of pushing from behind. I'm spending this time with them and mostly not worrying where it leads. Its nice to enjoy them without the worry. I feel confident that they can handle the bumps along the way.
I meant to write about this in my last post but I sort of got off on a tangent and it didn't seem to fit in very well and I decided to make it a separate post.
As my kids have grown older I've been able to enjoy them as people more. When they were younger I was spending much of my time teaching them how to be good people and teaching them to be able to live a happy and fulfilling life. I still do guide them but mostly they've become who they will be. And I like them. I like to spend time with them. I like to have everyday conversations with them. If they weren't already my children I would choose them as friends.
It may not be socially correct to say that time with younger kids can be a lot of tedious work but it can be. Its hard to read that same children's book for the 500th time. Its hard to answer those endless questions that start with "why..." I know that I was supposed to be dreamy eyed with wonderment as my children discovered the world but its hard to do that when you are changing a poopy diaper or surviving one of many tantrums. Its maddening when someone tells you to cherish every moment because time goes so fast. I can remember many times when I did feel awe in the magic of motherhood. I can remember staring at Thomas when he read his first chapter book. I still smile when I think about Erin crashing her electric jeep and her first thought was the safety of Sarah who was riding with her. Sarah amazed me when she was two and she drew a picture of me flying a kite and I could actually tell what it was. Yes many times it is enjoyable but that doesn't change the fact that its so much gosh darn work!
Now that I have a preteen and two teenagers I don't need to do so much work. I don't need to be following them around every minute guiding them through life. More and more they are following their own paths. Each path is interesting and I get to walk beside them instead of pushing from behind. I'm spending this time with them and mostly not worrying where it leads. Its nice to enjoy them without the worry. I feel confident that they can handle the bumps along the way.
THESE ARE THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE
Dear Friend,
Although some days I'm grumpy, I realize that these days truly are the best days of my life. After the many unhappy days of my childhood and the following adult years when I was trying to sort out my past, I am finally in a time when I can just sit back and soak in the happiness. Sometimes I look back with regret on how much time that seemed to be wasted on lamenting my relationship with my parents. I guess it was just what I needed to go through at the time.
This is a time that most of the hard work has been done raising my kids. They've reached an age where I can enjoy the fruits of my labor. All the worrying whether I was doing the right thing has come to a point that I can realize yes, I was doing the right thing. I'm not saying that I don't have bad days where I wonder if I've made some mistakes. I have made some mistakes and sometimes this thought can be overwhelming, but in general I am happy with myself as a mother. I am extremely happy with my kids. I have a great husband and three great kids and that means that I am surrounded by people who I love and people who love me. What more could a person ask for? In a world where success is measured in dollars, I know a secret. Success is not about how much money you make or how many things you possess, it's about how happy you are. Everyone wants to be loved and unfortunately some people confuse popularity or admiration for love. I may not be super popular and I may not have hoards of people admiring me, but I have four people who love me. FOUR! A person could be happy with just one person loving them and I've got FOUR!
Although some days I'm grumpy, I realize that these days truly are the best days of my life. After the many unhappy days of my childhood and the following adult years when I was trying to sort out my past, I am finally in a time when I can just sit back and soak in the happiness. Sometimes I look back with regret on how much time that seemed to be wasted on lamenting my relationship with my parents. I guess it was just what I needed to go through at the time.
This is a time that most of the hard work has been done raising my kids. They've reached an age where I can enjoy the fruits of my labor. All the worrying whether I was doing the right thing has come to a point that I can realize yes, I was doing the right thing. I'm not saying that I don't have bad days where I wonder if I've made some mistakes. I have made some mistakes and sometimes this thought can be overwhelming, but in general I am happy with myself as a mother. I am extremely happy with my kids. I have a great husband and three great kids and that means that I am surrounded by people who I love and people who love me. What more could a person ask for? In a world where success is measured in dollars, I know a secret. Success is not about how much money you make or how many things you possess, it's about how happy you are. Everyone wants to be loved and unfortunately some people confuse popularity or admiration for love. I may not be super popular and I may not have hoards of people admiring me, but I have four people who love me. FOUR! A person could be happy with just one person loving them and I've got FOUR!
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